Harrison Barnes has put his signature on a four-year, $85 million deal to remain with the Sacramento Kings, keeping a fringe playoff core together.
Harrison Barnes is staying with the Sacramento Kings. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Barnes officially put his signature on a four-year, $85 million deal with the Kings, which keeps a young, growing core together for a rise in the Western Conference.
At the start of the 2018-19 season, Barnes was a member of the Dallas Mavericks, but at the trade deadline, he was dealt to Sacramento (in the middle of a game, no less) and shored up the small forward position, long a weakness on this Kings roster.
Re-signing Barnes was a priority for the Kings, and the quickly hammered out a deal that would work for both parties.
Once Barnes was locked up, the Kings went to work beefing up their frontline and bench. According to Shams Charania, the Kings reached a two-year, $25 million deal with Trevor Ariza who will provide defense and shooting. The Kings also signed Dewayne Dedmon to a three-year, $41 million deal.
Dedmon has developed into a nice big man over the past couple of seasons, and he certainly fills a need in the frontcourt that Sacramento was looking to solve. The singings of Ariza, Dedmon, and, most importantly, Barnes, also gives the Kings veteran leadership to guide the young guns who will are the building blocks of the Kings.
Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox have grown to become the faces of the Kings push to move up in the Western Conference standings, and with Barnes in tow, the Kings were in the playoff picture for most of the year. Now with Barnes, Dedmon, and Ariza in tow, the Kings front office is sending a signal that the intention for Sacramento to finally crash the playoff party next season.